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Even if you don't create your own models, you can still change the way monsters or objects look by creating a new skin. Heretic II uses the Flex Model (FM) format, which stores the skin in a separate file (in M8 format). You can alter a model's skin without having to alter the model file itself. Simply put the new M8 skin in the right directory. Some models use the M32 format, also known as SoF Textures (after the game Soldier of Fortune), for their skins. These images include transparencies, and are difficult to create or manipulate, so I won't discuss them here.
Let's say we wanted the giant rats to be albinos. We would have to create two
skins:
The \models\monsters\rat\... directory structure is identicle to that in the
original PAK file, only it exists in your own 'Newgame' folder instead.
When you run a level after the 'game Newgame' command, your new skins
will over-ride the original ones.
Most monsters have two skins; a regular skin, and a damaged one (for when a monster is wounded). Most skins will be called '!skin.m8' or '!skin.pcx.m8', while the damaged version simply has the letters 'Dmg' added after the name. By extracting the original skins from the Heretic II PAK, and modifying their colours to make them white, the giant rats in your own game can show up as albinos (see image right). You can do this with any of the models.
Exploring the PAK file with QuArK allows you to view the existing M8 skins and extract them as image files. Keep track of the sizes and file names of the original skins, alter the image file however you like, use QuArK to save the images as M8 files, and you can make any model in Heretic II look completely different. I've modified the plague elf and palace guard elf skins to look like slaves and slavemasters (see left). The following table explains what models are located where in the PAK.
| SUBDIRECTORY | PURPOSE
| /Models/Debris/ | Exploding chunks
| /Models/Fx/ | Explosions and Shadows
| /Models/Items/ | Aquirable items (health, ammo, puzzle pieces, etc)
| /Models/Monsters/ | Monsters (Duh!)
| /Models/Objects/ | Mostly static models (furniture, statues, etc) and lights
| /Models/Player/ | Player models and skins
| /Models/Spells/ | Skins for spell effects and projectiles
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I create my own custom models using the Quake Modeller v.9.0b. If I simply want to modify an existing model, I extract it from the PAK using QuArK (saving it as a Quake MDL file), then import it into the Quake Modeller. Once I've modified it, I export it as a Quake II MD2 file, then use a converter to change it into an FM model. I then use a skinnames utility to make the model point to the correct skin name and directory path. I have also created original models from scratch. The disadvantage of creating a new model is that you also have to map a new skin to it, which is sometimes more time consuming than making the model itself. You can download some of my new and modified models from the Models page.
For more information on creating skins, see my Skinning Tutorial. This is specifically about creating new player skins, but most of the advice can be applied to creating any type of M8 skin or texture.